8 Tips for a Good Business Card

How many business cards do you throw away in a year? More importantly, how many of your business cards get thrown away by other people? The truth is, business cards are one of the cheapest form of advertising. So much so that many people don’t take them seriously. However, if done correctly, business cards are still one of the most effective forms of advertising. The question is, are you doing it wrong? A good business card can increase your business in a way that may surprise you.

What does your card look like?

If you already have a business card, go get it…if not, grab one that someone handed you recently. Look at the card. If your average Joe was holding your card in one hand and a competitor’s card in the other hand, what would make him call you instead of your competitor? If you can’t answer that, let’s find a fix.

8 Things you can do to your card!

Our goal is to always look for something that will stand out. One time I handed my card to another magician who said, almost complaining, “This really doesn’t look like any other magician’s business card”, to which I replied, “Thank you!”

1. Size does matter!

It’s a fact that 99% of business cards that people will give you will be the same size. For just a few dollars more, you can get a card that’s 25% bigger, a different shape and a lot thicker. When you hand people your card, what if they said, “Wow,” before they even looked at it?

2. Color…duh!

OK, this day in age, a color business card is pretty much common sense. We are far passed the white cards with the black writing. Color is a very cheap upgrade.

3. A picture is worth…money!

I want to see what you’re talking about. If you have a landscaping company, show me some green grass with beautiful flowers under a blue sky on a sunny day. Make me interested. OK, so what if you install septic tanks? Have a picture or clipart of a skunk with a clothespin on his nose. Trust me, humor is not a bad thing. Give people a visual.

Now, please don’t be too corny with the clipart. Try to avoid walking that thin line!

4. GET RID OF CLUTTER!!!

If a business card has a specific purpose, then you need to keep other information to a minimum. Your name, your company name, one sentence on what your company does, and your contact information. I have seen business cards that I would swear the person was trying to see how much information they could fit. Keep information to a minimum!

5. What contact information is necessary?

First, let’s talk phone numbers. How many numbers do your potential clients actually need? I had someone give me a business card that had FIVE phone numbers on them. Do you have any idea how unnecessary that is? Your potential clients need ONE number…the easiest for you to be reached during business hours. They don’t need your fax number, home number, or cell number.

Now, it’s OK to put your cell number on your card, as it might be your business number. Just don’t label it as your cell. Cell numbers and home numbers can give the appearance of desperation. Don’t let them think that you’re available 24/7.

Next, unless you have an actual storefront or business that people come to, you don’t need a physical address. That, like a fax number, is something you can give a new client over the phone if they need it.

This last one might surprise you. Don’t put your email address! This has two valuable results. One, it encourages people to call. Two, it gets you more website visitors. Why? If someone specifically asks how to email me, I tell them they can do it directly from my website.

So summing this section up, I would put one phone number and your website on the card.

6. Don’t make someone put on their glasses!

Since we’re keeping information on the card to a minimum, we can afford to make the font bigger. I’m not kidding when I say, the average person can read my phone number from 15 feet away. As a friend of mine said, I don’t even want people to have to take the time to look for their glasses. Make it extremely easy for people to read your card.

7. USE THE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The back of the card is incredibly valuable real estate. Have a few client testimonials. What if your clients are big corporations? Have a client list on the back. Or, what if the back of your card simply had a code for 10% off your services if used before a certain date? Seriously, make the back of your card something powerful.

8. The reason for them to call…

Finally, have a call to action! Believe it or not, sometimes, people don’t exactly know what to do. “Do I need to go to your site?” “Should I send you an email.” “How do I book you?” These are questions that I’ve heard NUMEROUS times over the years. Answer the question in writing! “Call to book!” “For more information, visit www.Website.com.”

It’s really not expensive!

my cards are insanely good quality and I pay less today than I did 15 years ago. Because a good business card is so inexpensive, there’s no reason not to have an outstanding card. It’s a great feeling to hand out a business card and someone say, ” Wow! That’s a great card.” I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Joel Bauer. While talking about business cards, he said, “Your business card should be so good, that even if they don’t like you, they won’t throw it out.”

Want me to speak about this to your company? Contact us here!